


bruised comfort

by AngelWars, goldenlavender (Forestgreengirl)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, CT-5597 | Jesse Needs A Hug, CT-6116 | Kix Needs A Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Sleepy Cuddles, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24947158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWars/pseuds/AngelWars, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forestgreengirl/pseuds/goldenlavender
Summary: Ventress was one of the worst people that Kix had ever encountered, this fact was only cemented by her doing something that messes with Jesse’s head, that turns him against Kix.or(Ventress does some sith-stuff to Jesse, Kix comforts him in the aftermath)
Relationships: CT-5597 | Jesse/CT-6116 | Kix, CT-6116 | Kix & CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 1
Kudos: 54
Collections: Kix/Jesse





	bruised comfort

“What do you want” Kix snarls out, focusing on where the force-user was keeping her hands, wanting to make sure that she didn’t try anything, _ I really don’t want to think about how even if she did try something, there’s nothing I could really do to stop her,  _ and also trying to keep an eye on Jesse next to him, Jesse who Ventress kept narrowing her eyes at thoughtfully, something twists in her gaze.

Jesse glares Ventress down. She obviously is up to something. She keeps taking little peeks at him every so often so he knows he's interesting to her. 

Ugh. Jesse's heard stories about this Assassin. She loves to hurt clones every given chance. 

Her icy blue gaze keeps him straining against the wall.  _ The force.  _ Jesse thinks. He grits his teeth and jerks against her hold but her pale right-hand squeezes more into itself. Jesse grunts in discomfort when he feels pressure on his neck, it isn't overwhelming, and he can still breathe, but it's harsh enough that it makes him shift. 

Kix takes notice that she's doing something to Jesse so he tries to gain her attention. _ She won't hurt him!  _

"Answer the question!" Kix snaps at her. Ventress slowly rolls her head and looks right back at Kix. Her eyes are unreadable. "Mm. I don't need to tell you anything, clone. Ha. You'll just have to wait and see." 

She places her finger on his chin flirtatiously and Kix jerks his head away. 

"Separatist scum." He hisses, eyes narrowed dangerously. 

"Oh. I am hurt. Hahahaha. " She laughs. One minute she's laughing and then the next there's a white blur. Ventress slams Kix's head against the wall. 

"You will learn to hold your tongue, clone. I think I'll have to teach you a lesson." Ventress smiles eerily. Jesse starts to squirm again. Like a fly caught in a spider's web.

Kix feels almost sick watching Jesse struggle, fear crawling up his throat. Ventress is dangerous, one of the more dangerous enemies they’ve faced, Kix has treated the clones who have come back from battles with her, well, the ones that she let go. 

Nobody escapes from Ventress unless she lets them, except maybe their Generals. He doesn’t know what she’s doing to Jesse, all he knows is Jesse is twisting, eyebrows furrowed as he squeezes his eyes shut against something Ventress is doing. 

Kix wants to reach out to him, to tear him out of Ventress’s grip, but there’s an unseen force keeping him away, blocking him from keeping his riduur safe. Ventress grins. Then her right hand lifts up, fingers outstretched towards his face, and Jesse tries to stare it down but couldn't. The ringing gets worse. _ It hurts it hurts it hurts.  _ He yells again. Discomfort is painted in red. 

It stops suddenly. The pain. The ringing. It's all gone just like that. And Ventress is just staring at him. Jesse glances at Kix wearily and trembles from the adrenaline running through him like a run-away speeder. 

"Don't hurt him. Please, " Typical Jesse. Always worried about other people's safety and not his own. So thoughtful.  _ But he shouldn't worry about me!  _ Kix growls internally, he should be more focused on whatever that witch is planning. 

"Oh I won't hurt him, " Ventress says out of earshot. Kix strains his hearing but he misses what she said. She looks Jesse up and down before she leans in close, placing one hand on the side of his neck, and she whispers into Jesse's ear,  _ "But you will." _ No context to that.  _ What? _

Jesse's eyes widen in shock. He's not given enough time to react, not even for a second's glance at Kix, before Ventress uses the force on him. 

And Jesse....he  _ screams, _ a blood-curdling sound that makes Kix wince. 

Kix can’t even deny that he’s terrified now, because fear is grasping every inch of his body, making his chest almost ache, as Jesse screams at something Ventress has done, something that Kix can’t  _ see.  _

He can’t properly process what Ventress has said about Jesse hurting him, because Jesse would  _ never _ . He’d rather throw himself into blaster-fire than hurt the ones he cared about. 

Except Jesse isn’t acting like Jesse anymore, and Kix swallows down the apprehension he’s feeling. Kix watches as Jesse’s hands twitch, something ugly, and blank swirling in his lovers eyes, something that Kix hasn’t seen before. Something that honestly, scares him half to death. He tampers down on that fear, not wanting Ventress to pick up on the emotions that are currently running wild, Kix doesn’t want to give her that satisfaction. 

“What did you do.” Kix snarls out, trying to stop his hands from shaking by his side. 

Ventress laughs, a cold, empty sound when she responds, “Oh I didn’t do anything. Much. You should be more worried about what he’s going to do to you.”

“Jesse would never hurt me.” Kix knows that like he knows that rations taste terrible, and large creatures are terrifying, he knows it down to his bones. Jesse wouldn't hurt him. 

“Are you sure about that?” 

Ventress does something unseen, something that makes Jesse go tense, back straight and blank eyes locked onto Kix. The look makes Kix wary as he shuffles back slightly, something that prompts Jesse to move forward, matching his steps. 

One step backwards, one step forwards. 

Kix is definitely regretting having told the Generals, and Captain Rex that him and Jesse were fine to scout what was going on, that they wouldn’t run into any danger, it was supposed to be a simple mission. 

It was  _ not  _ turning out to be a simple mission. 

Kix’s hack hits the wall, sending a jolt of pain down his spine. Jesse stops in front of him, and Kix wants to almost cry at how empty his eyes are. They don’t look like Jesse’s eyes anymore, they’re not the eyes he’s looked into after nightmares, the eyes that he’s searched out after battles. This isn’t a Jesse that Kix knows. 

Jesse raises a clenched, shaky fist, and Kix doesn’t even have enough time to move before he feels the impact hit him. 

“Gah!" Kix cries out in pain, his cheek is definitely going to have bruised. 

He collapses to the floor in a heap. His muscles ache from the impact. Jesse stands over him mindlessly. His shoulders heave up and down, and his mouth opens in a breathless, raspy wheeze. A sound that provokes a certain type of worry in Kix, that type of breathing usually has to do with heavy exhaustion, or internal injuries. 

Kix scrambles to his feet, or tries to, but Jess shoves him back down again. 

"Jesse! Jesse! Listen to me, " Kix tries to talk some sense into him but Jesse only gets on top of him and starts to punch him over and over again, and Kix can feel blood smearing across his face, and on Jesse’s fists. Kix, of course, would put up a fight, but this is Jesse, he doesn't want to hurt him, he promised that he’d never hurt him. 

But Kix has to defend himself. So he dodges the next forceful and crazed swings aimed at his face. Jesse growls animalistically in annoyance and Kix takes this opportunity to swing his feet up into Jesse's chest and kicks hard. His cyare is flung to the side. 

"I won't fight you!" Kix stumbles to his feet and clenches his fists tightly by his side.

He’s made it very clear he doesn’t want to fight Jesse, would rather be doing anything else. They’ve grown up together, they’ve fought together, they’ve trained together. Their skills are perfectly matched for each other. Kix barely notices Ventress slipping out of the room, the sound of a lock snapping shut being the only noise in the room, except for Kix’s shaky breathing.

Jesse doesn’t show any sign of stopping, Kix kicks him down and he gets up again. Kix barely has enough time to get his feet under him before Jesse is slamming him into the wall behind them, Kix’s head slams into the white plaster, leaving his vision blurring and his ears ringing. He’s definitely going to have a concussion by the end of this.

Jesse takes a step forward, and Kix manages to get his bearings together enough to kick his leg out, swiping Jesse’s ankles out from under him; it sends him crashing to the floor. 

“Stay down Jesse, I don’t want to hurt you.”

Jesse doesn’t say anything, he hasn’t said anything since Ventress got into his head and did something. The only thing Jesse does is snarl, an angry, twisted sound that makes Kix wince. 

“Jesse come on, it’s me, you don’t want to do this.” 

Kix hopes that by now people have noticed that they’re missing, that they would have sent somebody, preferably somebody who could fix whatever Ventress has done to Jesse. Jesse shakes his head and growls again. Like an animal. He's gone.  _ What's happened to him? Mind control; that has to be what’s happening, there's no other reason that Jesse would be acting like this.  _

Kix backs up two steps to steady himself and his eyes flick from left to right, trying to find some way of escape. 

None.  _ Kriff.  _

"Jess. Hey, cyare. Please hear me out. Please. I don't want to hurt you anymore. Just look at me for a second." Kix doesn't have high hopes that will break whatever spell Ventress put on him. 

"Shut up!!" Jesse demands and launches at him, but his steps are clumsier than they would usually be, Kix hopes that means that somewhere under the spell, Jesse is trying to fight it. 

Kix curses under his breath, "Kriff." He rolls across the floor and successfully dodges Jesse's attack. So. Jesse can talk or react while this is happening. But it's not enough, he won't be able to break him out of this. Not alone at least. Little gods, he hopes the Generals realise they’re missing soon. Jesse twists around and sprints forward. His right hand is out and by his side so he can smack the shit out of Kix; but Kix quickly swings his left forearm up in front of his face, a bit further out than his right arm, to block the hit. 

They both grunt at the impact. Skin against skin echoes across the room. Jesse snarls at him. His eyes are dilated. Sweating a lot. Memory loss no doubt. This is affecting him worse than he could ever imagine.

"Die!!" Jesse growls and slams his forehead against Kix's. Kix cries out in pain and pushes it down so he can land a solid punch to Jesse’s nose. He does feel bad at how much pain he’s causing Jesse, but it’s the lesser of two evils. Jesse ate the punch. He stumbles back and shakes his head, scarlet leaks from his nostrils before he comes at Kix again. He's not giving up. He’ll have to knock him out. Kix concludes. 

It's the only logical solution. Kix really doesn’t want to cause that sort of pain to Jesse, doesn’t want to hurt him enough to send him into unconsciousness. But he isn’t seeing any other way to solve what's happening. Kix can feel the bones in his ankle grinding, and his ears are still ringing from where Jesse slammed him into the wall. Twice. 

Kix has been trained to handle these sorts of situations. To be able to handle injuries like this; but Jesse has been trained to the same degree as Kix, they’re equals in more ways than one. Kix relaxes his muscles, his shoulders every limb on his body. He'll just have to wait for Jesse to come to him first, then he'll make his move. Jesse glares him down with hatred painting his features. 

Jesse’s golden eyes glow with such ferocity. His canines show a bit at the corner of his lips when they pull up into a sneer. Jesse's fists are clenching so hard his knuckles turn white, contrasting from his naturally tan skin. Kix inhales and exhales softly. His eyes lock onto Jesse's and they both have a staring competition of some sort. Jesse will attack if he feels threatened. Kix will do the same with no hesitation. 

Jesse says nothing. He just growls again, sharp and short before he dashes forward and Kix moves his right foot back and prepares himself. Both of his hands are out in front of him and ready to grab Jesse and destroy him. 

In other words, knock him out.

Jesse does exactly as Kix thought he would do, he charges hard, and quickly, and barely gives Kix enough time to twist him around, slamming Jesse into the wall behind them with a thud. Kix feels a moment of sick fear when he stares at Jesse this closely, it was unnerving from a distance, but the blank emptiness up close made him feel almost dizzy with apprehension. He was doing this to help Jesse, just give them enough time to stay alive until they could make it back to the Generals.

As fast as he can, Kix shoves Jesse back, the other man’s head collides with the wall with a sickening crunch, and Kix winces in sympathy; it wouldn’t kill him, or seriously injure him, but he would certainly have one-hell-of-a headache later on. Kix relaxes his hands after a moment, and Jesse slumps down the wall; blissfully unconscious. Kix follows him down to the ground.

He still doesn’t know where Ventress went after she left the room, hopefully the Captain and General had managed to intercept her, hopefully they would be on their way soon.  _ I don’t want to imagine what I would have to do if they weren’t. _

It takes about almost half an hour before Kix hears voices outside. Familiar ones.  _ Rex.  _ He struggles to stand up. It hurts. Everything aches. But he pushes through. Kix hesitantly glances back at Jesse to make sure he won't wake up and attack again, that's the last thing he needs. Wheezing breaths met his ears. Kix nods to himself in relief and stands up completely. It's a challenge. His muscles shake with effort. His knees lock, pointing towards one another. And his head swims dangerously on the tipping point. 

Everything just feels....wrong.

The door is blown open and many of their vode run inside. Guns raised. Kix almost slumps to the floor in exhaustion. But he makes himself stand strong, he needs to keep it together for just a bit longer. Immediately, Rex is hurrying over to where Kix is struggling to stand, looping one of Kix’s arms around his neck, supporting his weight. He steals a glance at Jesse’s half-slouched form, which Skywalker was hurriedly picking up off the ground, and visibly swallows.

Kix feels the sentiment. 

“We got you vod. We got you.” Kix manages to hold onto consciousness long enough to nod at what Rex says, before he sees darkness at the edges of his vision. He goes limp like a noodle in Rex’s arms.

  
  


———

  
  


Kix wakes back up to this insistent beeping in his ear. He opens his eyes blearily and blinks three times.  _ Where am I? _ He stares up at the white ceiling for a long moment before he remembers where exactly he is. And what happened. 

"Shit," He sits up abruptly. Helix materializes seemingly out of nowhere and appears on Kix's right side.

"Woah, vod. It's okay. You are safe now. Shhh. Hey, look at me for a sec." Helix requests, trying to catch Kix’s attention. 

Kix obliges and turns his head towards him, then he stares. "What?" He cocks his head in confusion. 

Helix shakes his head in dismissal. "Nothing. Nothing. Just checking to see if your pupils are still dilated. And they are not," Helix offers a smile and moves away. Once he does, Kix catches a glimpse of Jesse on the other side of the room. 

"J-Jess? Helix, I want to see him." He whispers. Helix sighs.

"Can't yet, vod. You know the rules. If you are badly hurt then you have to sit in the bed for a couple of hours to a day. For you, it's a day."

Kix sags against the pillow and does not take his eyes off of Jesse's still form. "Is he okay? Can you at least tell me that?" Kix bites the inside of his mouth. Dreading the answer. 

Helix nods, "Yes. Concussion. Nasty one. But other than that he's fine. The Generals said they felt all this 'darkness' around him and they fixed it. He should be fine now." 

Helix crosses his arms over his chest, "What happened out there anyways?" He asks Kix.

“Ventress did some force stuff I’m assuming, and did something to Jesse’s brain. Made him go all robotic and blank and stuff.” Kix almost shivers at the memory, Jesse’s blank eyes are going to be the subject of every nightmare for the next couple of weeks.

Helix’s eyebrows furrow for a moment, before his eyes widen as he realises what Kix means, “You mean he gave you those injuries?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t him, Jesse wouldn’t do something like that normally.” Kix doesn’t want Jesse getting in trouble for it, it wasn't his fault, it was Ventress’s doing. He aches to go over to Jesse, to reassure himself that they’re both okay. Except he’s a medic and he knows for a fact that Helix will sedate him if he gets up immediately. 

“-sure to not look at your datapad. You don’t have an extreme concussion so you’re not in danger, but I don’t want to test fate.” Helix interrupts his train of thought, jolting him back from his thoughts and stares at Jesse’s still-unconscious-body.

Kix dozes off after a couple minutes pass. A long nap later, he wakes up about an hour off to the sound of Jesse groaning in the bed. Kix sits up and stares at him for two seconds, and then he is over there as quickly as he can possibly move. He gets close enough before Jesse jerks his head at the noise and kicks out at him. 

"No! Stop. Don't get any closer, " Tears race down his face in shame. His sun golden eyes are riddled with guilt and pain. 

Kix raises his two hands non-threateningly and backs up. "Okay. Okay. I won't get any closer.”

"What happened?" Jesse asks with a choked off sob. Kix stumbles mentally to find the right answer but he takes too long. "What happened?!" 

"Y-You...we were captured by Ventress. She did something to you. Mind control, I think; and.... And..." Kix drifts off. He couldn't tell Jesse he tried to hurt him, Jesse would never forgive himself for that. But it seems he remembered because—

"No..." Jesse stares at his hands.  _ I am shaking?  _ He thinks in alarm. Jesse gulps against the panic crawling up his throat, like a monster ready to tear into him. His hands move to clutch at the black tops constricting his ability to breathe freely. 

"Jesse?" Kix steps forward.  _ Abort. Don't.  _

"I-I..." 

_ Force, his voice is so shaky.  _ Kix thinks. Jesse sniffles and his head tips up so he can look Kix directly in the eye. Big fat tears roll down his face. "I... Hurt you.." He comes to a horrifying realization that sends ice flowing through his veins. 

Kix wants to reassure him, to run his hands over Jesse's arms, and reassure himself that Jesse’s okay, that he's really there. But he also doesn't want to overwhelm him, and the way that Jesse is shaking on the bed, avoiding eye contact with Kix as desperately as he could, it’s unnerving.

"It wasn't you. You weren't in control." Kix’s words sound empty even to his own ears, Jesse eyes him dubiously, and Kix knows he doesn't believe him, doesn't even come close.

"But it was still me, I still did that to you." Kix feels Jesse's gaze on him, tracing his injuries with his eyes, injuries that he had caused. Kix's bruises ache at the memory of heavy fists and blank eyes. 

Kix hesitantly moves over to sit on the bed, usually he would keep his distance, wanting to make sure he didn't overwhelm his lover; but both of them were desperate for some type of contact, and Kix brushes his shoulders against Jesse's, feeling the comforting warmth radiating between them. 

Jesse still refuses to look at him. His gaze firmly situated on the ground in front of them. Kix follows his line-of-vision, choosing to look at the random spot of blue paint on the wall in front of them; instead of staring at Jesse's injuries. Most of them bloomed there by Kix's own hands, and the thought sends a wave of guilt through him.

"Jesse?" Kix whispers under his breath. Calling out to his cyare. "Please look at me." He requests. Jesse should not feel guilty for hurting Kix because it was not him! Kix knows this. But Jesse keeps denying that it wasn't him and Kix...fuck it's pissing him off just a little. But he has to remain calm. Jesse’s scared. He's guilty, and Kix obviously doesn't want him to be.

"Baby, listen. This is not your fault. It's not. I am the one that was attacked and I am telling you now, that was not really you. I don't care how many times you want to deny it. Jess, please believe me."

Jesse bites the inside of his mouth. Chewing on it nervously. A nervous habit he’s had since Kamino. Kix chuckles at the pouty expression Jesse makes. 

"You want to know how I know it wasn't really you. Your eyes, the pupils, they were dilated, glassy, far away. Like you weren't really there. You kept growling like an animal. Blinding rage sat in your gaze. I know you. My Jess would never ever do that to me, ever!" Kix's gaze hardens on Jesse to make him understand what he's saying. "But the one thing....is that you fought back against the pain before she took control of you. You tried to fight her and that's how I know it wasn't you after she finished. Because force users are naturally stronger..." 

Jesse finally turns to face him. Kix smiles at him lovingly. Warmth spreads across his face and fills his eyes. He's finally listening.

"There you are, darling. I see the one I choose to love every day, right now. I don't see someone else, do you hear me?" Kix reaches for his hand and turns it over in his. Kix's fingers trace lightly over the lines creased on Jesse’s palm.   
  


Then Jesse sniffles. He stares at Kix. 

"Kix," Jesse starts to sob. He leans forward and cries into his chest. "I'm so sorry. I-I believe you, I do. I'm sorry."

Kix presses a gentle kiss to Jesse's cheek, careful of the bruises that sit on the cheekbones, his hand rubs circles on Jesse's palm. It is relieving to see Jesse smiling. Even as watery and still partially guilty as they are. It is better than the angry emptiness from before. 

Kix knows that both of their guilt isn’t going to go away for a while, no matter how much they reassured each other, a part of Kix at least would always feel bad for having hurt Jesse like he did, even if it was the kindest thing he could’ve done. Both of them will spend the next few weeks trying to make it up to each other, despite the other insisting that they don’t need to; they've done that whole process way too many times already.

"You never have to apologise, I promise you that,  _ cyar'ika _ ." Kix whispers. Jesse calms down considerably. His tears run dry, his body aches a bit, and he feels so tired. 

_ I am really happy Kix is here. _

His breaths steadily become calmer. More relaxed. Kix recognises its pattern evening out, no doubt as a result of Jesse starting to feel more relaxed, making him sleepier. 

Jesse smiles at him. "I love you." Jesse sighs and his eyes slide shut. 

Kix lays back on the bed with Jesse tucked against his chest. "I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!! we spent a few days writing/editing this. KixJesse makes Vox cry on the Daily-


End file.
